Starting device for explosive-engines.



J. 0. HOBBS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION mum DEC. 27, 1911.

. 076,1 20. Patented 001. 21, 1913.

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Znuen/Zr J o/ m 0.270555 J. O. HOBBS.

STARTING DEVICE FOB. EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 27, 1911.

1,076,120. Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

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I y l EL'QZMWQ/ZZWW 9 JQHN O. HOBBS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINQIS.

T R ING EVI E FOR E BLQfl E-ENGI EQ Specification of Letters tat-eat.

Patented Oct. 21. 1913.

application filed December 2 73 1911. Serial No. 668,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jo n: 0. Horses, 3 citizen of the United States, residing at Chiag in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to explosive engines, and more articularly to means for initially starting t e explosions in the en ine cylinders of automobiles.

in order to start an explosive engine, it is necessary to rotate the crank shaft sutiicicntly to compress and then ignite a char e of explosive mixture in'the' cylinder. This is usually done manually by means of a crank on the end ofthe crank shaft of the angine which necessitates the'operator leaving his seat and requires considerable physical cfi'ort.

The object of my invention is to provide a tiuid pressure operated Starting device for imparting to the crank shaft of an explosive engine the preliminary rotation requisite .to inltiate the explosions in the engme cylinders, and in which the pressure will be applied directly to the end of a radial crank throughouta circular movement of the radial crank suflicient to start the explosions in the cylinders.

.\ further object of my invention is to proride a fluid pressure operated starting de- \ice for explosive engines which will be comparat ively simple in construction, efficient in use, and convenient in operation.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which-- Fi ure 1 is an elevational view looking in the (lirection of the arrow in Fig. 3'; Fig. 2, a sectional view ot the controlling valve in position to clutch the era k upon the engine .crank shaft; Fig. 3, a sect onal plan view on line 3 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, an enlar' ed vertical section through the'pneumatic c utch, art's being broken away; 1g. 5, a detail elevational view of the resilient spider for separating the clutch members; and 6, a detail view of the plunger.

Similar reference characters are used to desi ate similar parts in the'several figures.

ft e drawin Reference is aracter A indicates the startthe end 0 llghe connection be or inarily consisting of an extension of the crankshaft of the engine.

B indicates a supporting bar through which the shaft A rotatably extends and which is rigidly secured to any suitable fixed support so as to be immovable relatively to the sha Y I B indicates a collar fixed to the shaft A adjacentthe portion 6' of the fixed member B which surrounds the shaft. C indicates a disk non-rotatably mounted upon the shaft A, as by means of a key c, interposed between the shaft and the hub of the disk C. V

designates a disk locaed adjacent the disk C and loosely mounte upon the shaft A. The outer periphery of the disk D is provided with a. circular flange having an inwardly projecting lip 11 which'surrounds tlie peripheryof the fixed disk O. Rigidly secured to a radial projection d on the disk D is a rod E e'xten'din concentrically around the shaft A and royided with a plunger F at its free end. the disk D, the rod E, and pcpn ger F constitute a crank loosely mounte upon the shaft A and adapted to im art rotary motion thereto in a manner su'iseqnently to be described. .G indicates a. circular tube located concentrically around the rod E and lun er l, and also concentrically supported reatively to the shaft A by any suitable means, such as brackets y and rigidly secured to any stationary support. In order that the plunger F may closel within the tube G, a cnp-sha )ed packing F forms part of the plan er l and is secured to the end of the rod l by means of a flanged disk f which on ages a screw threaded stud f on g'the rod'E. To avo d any danger of the plunger sticking in the surrounding tube should the inner surface of the tube be sliglitlyuneven or' should the tube occupy a in shaft of an explosive engine, such shaft P iti n in My ec en ic t th 'st 'rtl gg" shaft, the p anger Fis shown as'co'nnec I to the end of the rod in a manner to permit a slight radial movement of the plunger relatively to the adjacent end of the rod 1].

1n Figs l and wo flat plates E and Et overlie the'opposit e' fl e platss'l em rig d y e s' 'e es'by m an tl o a rivet ofbo t e to the stud and connecteen' the P an o an "t e'adjacent en'd o the rod is s' yarn in v. letail at arii e f the stud {and adjacent end diam E, 110

ed l! a rivet or bolt 6 with the end of the rod the openin s in the plates E and E tl rou h which the bolt 0 extends being slight y elongated in a direction radial to the starting shaft. The abutting endsof the stud f and rod E are in close contact so as to prevent an pivotal action between the plunger and no while admitting of a slight radial movement of the plun or relatively to the rod to avoid danger o the plunger sticking within the tube G.

Qne end of the curved tube G is closed I: a circular cap G having a flange surround mg and in screw threaded engagement with the end of the tube G.

A spiral spring H surrounds the shaft/A and is-secured at its inner end 71. within a recess formed in the hub b of the fixed support B. .The outer end It of the spiral spring H is secured within a recess formed within the adjacent surface of the crank disk D. The tension of the spring H is such as'to oscillate the crank disk D and rod E rigidly secured thereto to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the plunger F engages the cap G of the tube G.

Tnterposed between th fixed disk 0 and loose disk D is a clutch disk K referably made of flexible material, suc as sole leather and rigidly secured adjacent its center by pins K a. the hub of the disk D. A- leaf spring In preferably comprising radial arms, as shown in Fig. 5; surrounds the shaft A and is rigidly secured tothe disk D and clutch member K b means of the pins K assing therethroug as clearly shown in 1g. 4. The outer ends of the radial arms of the sprin k'are secured to the clutch member K a jacent its outer periphery by means of rivets k. The tension of the spring k, is such as to normally separate the clutch member K from contact with the adjacent surface of the fixed disk C.

M designates a three-way valve surrounded by a valve casing N and provided with passages controlling ports through the casing. The valve casing N is fixed upon any suitable support so as to occapy a fixed.

relation with respect to the tube '0 designates a conduit communicating wit-h a port 11. extending through the valve casing N and leading from any suitable source of fluid pressure, as for instance a compressed air reservoir 0. A short conduit p communicates with a port it through the valve casing and is connected with a T-coupling P from one opening in which a conduit P extends to the cap G of the tube G and communicates through an opening in said cap with the interior of the tube G. A flexible conduit P extends from the other opening in the coupling P to a port 2 through the crank disk D, as shown in Fig. 3.

71 indicates an exhaust port leadingfrom the valve casing N.

clutch, a link The passages in the valve M, when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. '1, (minect the conduit p with the exhaust port it, while the passages when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 2 connect the. conduit p with the conduit 0 leading from the source of fluid pressure.

A stud m projects concentricall from one end of the valve M through the a jacent end of the valve casing, as shown in Fig. 3. A crank arm M is fixed to the stud m at one end and from its other end a rod m projects into the path of the radial'extension d of the crank disk D.

' In order that the valve may be conveniently tiiriied into position to connect the source of fluid ressure with the tube G and is pivotally connected to the pin m and to the end of a bell crank lever Swhich is fulcrumed at .9 upon any suitable support. One end of the bell crank lever is provided with a handle T. Any other suitable means may, of course, be provided for manually turning the valve to a position to permit fluid pressure to flow therethrough to the tube and clutch.

The operation of my improved starting device is as follows: When it is desired to im art to the shaft A an initial movement su cient to start the explosions in the en-- gine cylinders, the valve M is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which fluid under pressure passes to the tube G and coincidentally through the crank disk D. The fiexible clutch member K is instantly forced into close frictional contact with the fixed disk C,thereby locking the crank disk D to the starting shaft A, while at the same time the fluid pressure moves t e plunger F within the tube G, thereby rotating the shaft A through the medium of the curved rod E and disk D. The rotation of the disk D carries the projection d thereon into contact with the pin. m, the latter being in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby moving the pin into the position-shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and oscillating the valve into position to connect both the tube and the clutch with the exhaust port n The spring H, which has been placed IlIldGIlBlF sion by the oscillation of the disk D relatively to the hub b of the fixed member B,

immediately upon the release of the fluid from the clutch, rotates the crank disk D' and the rod and plunger forming part there-:

of back to the normal position shown in Fig. l. Instantly upon the release of the fluid pressure through the conduit? fromthe flexible clutch" member K, the latter is d rawn away from cont-act with the fixeddiskC by means of the leaf spring k,'thereby permitting the shaft to continue its rotation while the crank disk D rofatesthereon, in a reverse a direction, to its normal position bv reason of the tension of the spring H.

the outer periphery of the fixed disk C and,

inner surface of the circular flange d on the crank disk D, thereby preventing any escape 'of fluid pressure between the fixed disk C and crank disk D.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved fluid pressure operated starting deviate for explosive engines, in which a starting crank is directly moved through a sufficient arc to impart to the shaft A the necessary rotation to start the explosions in the engine cylinders, and that the radius of the starting crank, consisting of the disk D, rod E, and plunger F, is such as to afford sutlicient leverage to permit a comparatively low pressure of fluid to exert the requisite power to rotate the shaft A. It will be further observed that in my improved starting device, the startin crank is instantly clutched to the shaft w on fluid pressure is exerted upon the plunger so that the entire movement of the plunger in the tube G will be imparted to the engine shaft A, and that immediately upon the completion of the throw of the plunger in the tube G the pressure is released from the clutch so as to instantly disconnect the starting crank from the engine shaft. l

While I have described more or less in de tail the specific form in which I have illustrated my invention as embodied, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thvreto, as I contemplate changes in form, roportion of parts, and substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may require, or as may be deemed expedient.

I claim:

1. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a starting shaft, of a crank loosely mounted upon said shaft, means for applying fluid pressure to said crank, a fluid pressure operated clutch for locking said crank to said shaft, valve mechanism for controlling the application of fluid pressure to said crank and to said clutch, means for manually operating said valve mechanism to ap ly fluid pressure to said. crank and to said 0 utch, and means automatically actuated by said crank for releasin fluid pressure therefrom and from said 0 utch. w

2. In a skirting device for explosi ve engines, the combination with a starting shaft, of a crank loosely mounted upon said shaft comprising a curved portion extending from the outer end thereof and concentrically around said shaft, a plunger on the end of said curved portion of said crank, a curved tube supported concentrically around said shaft within which said plunger reciprocates, a clutch for looking Said crank to said shaft, and means hr supplying fluid pressure to said tube and simultaneously operating said clutch to lock the crank to said shaft and for releasing fluid pressure from said tube and simultaneously operating said clutch to unlock the crank from said shaft.

I 3. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a starting shaft, of a crank loosely mounted upon said shaft cognpr ing a curved portion extending from the nu er end thereo concentricall around said shaft, a plunger on the em of said curved portion of said crank, a curved tube supported concentrically around said shaft within which said plunger reciprocates, a fluid pressure operated clutch for locking said crank to said shaft, and means for supplying fluid pressure to said tube and simultaneously to said clutch and for releasing fluid pressure from said tube and simultaneously from said clutch.

ginei, the combination with a starting shaft, of a disk fixed upon said shaft, a disk loose upon said shaft located adjacent said fixed disk, a flexible clutch member rigidly secured to said loose disk and adapted to frictionally engage said fixed disk, means for applying power to said loose disk and simultaneously admitting fluid ressure to the s ace between said loose dis and said flexi le clutch member and automatic means for discontinuing the application of power to said loose disk and simultaneously releasing the fluid pressure from the space between said flexible clutch member and said loose disk.

5. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a starting shaft, of a crank loosely mounted on said shaft, a stop, a spring tending constantly to rotate the crank in one direction against said stop, means for a plying power to said crank to rotate it in t e opposite direction, means for clutching said crank to said shaft simultaneously with the application of power thereto, and meansactuated by said crank after it has moved a certain angular distance from the stop for disengaging said crank from said shaft and simultaneously thereto discontinuing the application of power to said /crank.

6. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a star: shaft, of a crank loosely mounted on ssnishaft, a spring adapted to rotate said crank in one direction, a source of power adapted to rotate the crank in the opposite direction, a clutch to connect the said crank to the said shaft, means to apply the source of power to the crank and to engage the clutch simultaneously, and automatic means actuated by the crank to remove the source of power from the crank and disengage the clutch simultaneously.

v tionally engage said fixed disk, a curved rod rigidly secured to said loose disk and extending concentrically relatively to said starting shaft, a plunger on the end of said cur'ved rod, a curvedtube rigidly supported concentrically relatively to said starting shaft and Within which said plunger ,reciprocates, and means for simultaneously supplying fluid pressure to said tube and to the space between said clutch member and said loose disk, and for releasing fluid ressure from said tube and simultaneously rom the space between said flexible clutch member and said loose disk.

8. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with a starting shaft, of a disk fixed upon said shaft, a disk loosely mounted upon said shaft adjacent said fixed disk, 9. flexible clutch member rigidly secured to said loose disk and adapted to fric- Jopln o! point may be obtained tor tionally engage saidfixed disk, "a curved rod rigidly secured to said loose disk and extending concentrically relatively to said starting shaft, a plunger on the end of said curved rod, a curved tube rigidlysupported concentrically relatively to said starting shaft and within whichsaid plunger reciprocates, valve mechanism controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid pressure to and from said tube and simultaneously to and from the space between said clutch member and said loose disk, means for manually operating said valve mechanism to supply fluid pressure to said tube and clutch mem- JOHN o. HOBBS.

Witnesses GED. L. WILKINSON, HENRY A. PARKS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Weehtngton, D. 0." 

